So, um, hi. Like the title on the site says, I’m Dara. The reason you don’t see me post here often is because my real home on the Internet is Truly Tafakari. That’s where I go to reflect and riff on everything from my life as a wife & mom, to my musings about being a Black woman while Beyonce reigns King over America.
I started Truly Tafakari about a year ago because I felt limited by this blog space. But now, I’m realizing that blogging means you have to limit yourself in some kind of way. You have to set markers.
I’ve embarked on the #Blogging201 course to help me reach a few blogging goals this year. This is Day 2, so to speak (they have a weird posting schedule). Today I am to consider my “Brand” (which…I don’t even know what that means for me). If I had to describe my blog in three words, it’d be smart, funny, and heartfelt. I try to provide my readers with a space where they feel free to add their opinion without censure…but can also respect mine.
I want to be the girl you go see when something crazy goes down and you need it all. the. way. broken. down. son. A voice you can trust and laugh with.
Concurrently, I’m in another blogging group on Facebook that suggested I do a content audit. So far, I’ve been too lazy to actually do the audit. But even a cursory glance will tell me my best posts on Truly Tafakari have involved my tagline, Life, Race, and Culture.
The posts that do not resonate? They all involve writing or being a writer.
This gives me the sads. As much as I’d love to be my entire nerdy self at Truly Tafakari, I realize I do need to limit myself. I try to stuff all the writerly things under the “Life” category, but I don’t think my readers read me to get my perspective on writing.
This is where you come in. Yes, YOU. You followed me here for a reason. I feel I have let you down somewhat by abandoning even cross posting. (The duplicate posts were tiresome after a while) While I cannot promise regularity, I can promise this: I bought this dadgum domain name with real money, so I #minuswell get my money’s worth, no?
So consider this the re-relaunch of Reckless Acts of Punctuation!
What can I promise?
- This space is a sanctuary for and about writing. About how it sucks and gives life at the same dang time. About how I am having trouble leaving the Internet to read.
- I will be myself here. I fancy this as somewhat of a “professional” face, since I have ambitions and whatnot. But I have to keep my voice. It’s the only thing I have worth something in a crowd of people.
So. To answer the #Blogging201 call to define my brand, my first act is to start using daratmathis.com for all my nonfiction and writing posts.
I hope you’ll tag along with me, good peoples.
dara t. mathis 